


Humanity's Guardians

by JeckParadox



Category: Shadow of the Colossus, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Sequel to a dumb idea, more serious this time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-21 15:39:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6056980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JeckParadox/pseuds/JeckParadox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five years ago, the human race was almost dealt a horrible blow with the appearance of the Colossal Titan. But in that moment, it also gained its greatest protectors. To face the Colossal Titan a creature of stone appeared that matched it in height. It defeated and killed the Colossal Titan, saving the city of Shinganshina. But that wasn't the end of it. Fifteen other stone creatures appeared simultaneously along the outer edge of Wall Maria, battling Titans that get too close, and serving as guardians of Humanity.<br/>These guardians however are not the only thing that came from another world.<br/>There is one who hunts the Colossi, and as such, he is the enemy of humanity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

YEAR 845

The group made as wide a circle around the Colossus as possible. It was unlike any other maneuver the Scouting Legion had taken. For one thing, despite the distance from the Walls, there were nearly no Titans around. A fact that might be attributed to the reality of there being almost nothing around, beside the Colossus. 

The land was scarred, decimated. Giant swaths of ground were obliterated in the fight between the two giants. The Colossal Titan, and, as it was unlike any other Titan ever observed, what was simply called the Colossus. Many in Shinganshina had seen the Colossal Titan's head appear over the side of the wall, and quaked in fear. And then, all of Wall Maria's districts and land saw the sky break open in an enormous halo that mirrored the outer wall that protected humanity. From it, dropped the savior of Shinganshina. 

The Colossus, one of sixteen that had fallen from the sky, brawled with the Titan, destroying nearly everything around Shinganshina beside the city itself and its walls. The forest that the Scouting Legion had become slightly familiar with over the course of repeated expeditions into the wilderness outside the walls was completely gone. Where there used to be hills there was nothing, what had once been open plains was burned to a crisp or compacted from the impact of falling, brawling, furious sixty-meter bodies. 

And in the end, the winner was the Colossus that had fallen from the sky. 

For all the destruction that it caused, it had a remarkably peaceful air around it. As soon as it had killed the Colossal Titan, the Colossus simply sat down in the center of the devestation their fight had caused, and seemed to become nothing more than stone and moss. A gigantic, ancient, statue. The fight had happened less than a week prior.

The Scouting Legion had sent a relatively small group, a single squad, to gather information on the Colossus. The Squad leader had the group stay a cautious distance from the Colossus. While the people of the district were practically worshiping the Colossus, and made effort to differentiate it from any of the Titans, the military were more suspicious. If it was bigger than a bear, it was probably a Titan, and definitely dangerous. Something that could loom over the fifty-meter wall was naturally even more dangerous by orders of magnitude. But as the Colossus did not react, and in fact, didn't seem to be alive in the slightest, the group circled closer and closer to it. 

Over the course of hours, the group began to approach it faster. The more they observed the Colossus, the more prevalent was aura that it wasn't alive. It was still menacing, still alien and ancient, but merely a statue. 

By the end of the day, the squad had dared to climb the Colossus, and even took samples of the rock, moss, and other plant matter that the creature seemed to be made of.

* * *

While it took time for the information to cross from one side of the country to the other, it became apparent that 'the' Colossus wasn't the only one.  Sixteen stone creatures appeared. One at each of Wall Maria's districts, and three each equally spaced along the outside of Wall Maria between the districts. 

And while the one that appeared before Shinganshima returned to stone after it had defeated the Colossal Titan, the others were all still active and fighting.

The Colossi seemed to exist for only one purpose, killing any Titans that approached the Wall. With the notable exception of one of the Wall-based Colossi, which simply constantly danced through the air. Any Titans that approached the stone guardians were set upon by the beasts. While none of the battles were as spectacular as the sixty-meter's fight with the Colossal Titan, the Colossi fought ferociously and untiringly. 

The sixteen Colossi were recognized as guardians of humanity by the people of the Walls.


	2. Chapter 2

YEAR 850

 

Far away from the outside of Wall Maria, a hole broke open the sky. The Titans nearby, normally simply walking meandering toward the Walls and their targets within, turned towards the opening, sensing a much more present target. Every Titan for a good two miles around turned towards the crack, following the scent of a human from within. They Titans that approached, excepting some Deviants that had the little sense to run from the growing shadow, were crushed by the sudden avalanche of stone. Stone Idols and columns and former floor tiles fell in a cascade of rock, burying all beneath it. Mixed in among the avalanche was a horse, its rider, and the corpse he carried. The three of them were inside a room that remained more-or less intact, landing at the top of the pile, falling the shortest distance and receiving the least impact. 

The horse limped out of its transport, shaken, but trusting in her rider, who urged her, slowly and carefully, down the side of the unstable and newly-created hill. 

As the horse made its way through the plain, the Titans that survived the fall of stone charged for him. Shocked at their appearance, but not hesitating, he let go of the reigns, trusting his horse to continue its path and follow the directions he would shout or indicate with his feet. Drawing the arrow to his bow, he fired an arrow into the eye socket of one of the beasts. 

The Titan slowed slightly, letting out a pained screech, but already steam rose from its eye, and it began the chase. The blow to their comrade didn't seem to be even noticed by the other Titans as they rushed forward to attack the rider. 

Not seeing any other option, he directed his horse toward the Titan, and leaped from his saddle. The three-meter humanoid reached forward with its hands faster than the rider expected, and caught him mid-jump, raising him up to the Titan's mouth. Grunting in anger, he pulled out his sword and jammed it into the mouth of the Titan. It bit down on him, but he dropped the sword and pulled his arm out just in time. "Agro!" The rider shouted, and his horse came quickly, jumping slightly and giving the Titan a sharp hoof in the stomach. 

The humanoid monster lost its balance and fell over, its mouth flying open to roar once more. Acting quickly, the rider retrieved his sword still lodged in the roof of the monster's neck and held it up to the sunlight. The light reflected off the black steel formed a solid line, and on the back of each Titan's neck a glowing matrix in the vague outline of a human appeared. With a determined grunt, he stabbed it forward through the front of the neck, sending the blade all the way through to the back. The Titan shrieked horribly, and then began to disintegrate into flesh and bones, steaming and burning the rider. 

The other Titans paid the death of their comrade no mind as they rushed forward to try and consume the warrior themselves. Rushing forward, one dived for him, mouth open, trying to swallow him whole. He scrambled to the side just enough to avoid the slamming jaws of the Titan and grabbed onto the back of it's head. Holding tight, the Titan got up to its feet and began swatting at its unwanted rider. Each blow slammed into him with enough strength to shatter lumber, lift horses, and shred bones.

But he withstood each one with little more than a pained grunt. 

The warrior thrust his sword into the nape of the creature's neck, and from his higher point on the head of the five-meter Titan he leaped to the next. 

Each Titan was a challenge into and of itself. The creatures were proportionally as fast as a human, and swatted at him and tried to bite him over and over. Each fight was a risk to his life, but each time he pulled through. His sword showed him the glowing weakness in each of the beasts, and he drove it home one after the other. 

Panting with exhaustion, it was half an hour before the area was clear enough for him and Agro to escape. 

As they rode, one after another more human-like beasts appeared from the forests or from the field, drawn to the presence of humans unnaturally. 

Each one in turn almost succeeded in killing him, but his own agility, and very much inhuman durability and stamina prevented it. His sword reflected the sunlight and guided him to where he should strike on each one, killing them as quickly as possible. It was slow going, and difficult, and dangerous.

But the warrior was a man who would never be beaten by giants.

* * *

 

After days of riding and fighting, the Walls came into view. 

Gripping his sword tightly, he approached the outcropping attached to the wall. Standing before it, both hands glowing with energy, stood the sixty-meter tall Colossus. Any Titan that strayed close to it was incinerated by a bolt of light from the Colossus. The landscape around the Colossus was devastated with giant foot prints and scorch marks. 

Staring at it, he swallowed in nervousness. 

* * *

_THE FORBIDDEN LAND_

_Wander entered into the temple, he and Agro making their way across the bridge and up the passage ways until they reached the cavern. Lining the walls of the cavity were great stone idols. Placing his beloved Mono onto the pedestal, he drew his sword. The Ancient Sword was an artifact of Emon's tribe. Used, supposedly, an eternity ago to seal a terrifying god of death and sleep._

_He had grown up in the village, lived with them, followed their laws, prayed to their gods and listened and believed their tails of the Dormin, and the Ancient Sword. But after what they had done to her... labeling her cursed and evil, putting her down like an animal, all at the word of Emon merely because of some damn vision..._

_He no longer had any reason to trust Emon's gods._

_Taking the Ancient Sword, he had come to the one thing that could possibly help him, now that Mono was dead._

_He entered the forbidden land. He and Agro left her body there, and toured through the forbidden land. Coming across ruins of ancient civilizations, great deserts and forests. He ate the fruit and meat of the forbidden land, and with each bite became less human, and more powerful. With each bite, the less hunger he would ever feel, the faster he recovered and healed, and the stronger he became._

_But the land was empty, and the supposed Dormin who dwelt there silent. Perhaps the god of eternal sleep had died itself after spending so long sealed by the sword._

_When Emon's men broke into the temple, despite the power he had gained there, he was forced down. One of Emon's warriors prepared to impale him, when sunlight poured all around him, and the ground below broke. Black energy seemed to rise from the ground, attacking the soldiers and knocking them away. Emon gathered his men and retreated from the temple, where the center of the floor only continued to grow in its destruction. The sunlight seemed to almost turn to Wander, and it began to speak to him._

**_You desire that maiden's soul?_ **

_"Yes!" He called out to the void._

**_Souls that are once lost cannot be reclaimed. Is that no the law of mortals? But you have broken the laws already. With that sword, it is not impossible._ **

_"Tell me, please Dormin!"_

**_The price will be heavy. Heavy indeed. Heavier than it would have been before. The forbidden land has broken its seals, and now  its residents have gone to somewhere where the forbidden land is inverted._ **

_"I don't care! Take us there, please!"_

**_When you land, raise the sword, and follow to the place where the sword's light gathers._ **

_"When I... land?"_

**_Grab the girl._ **

_It didn't speak with a tone that was open for disagreement. He rushed forward, calling Agro, and loaded Mono's body onto the horse. The light glinting off of the sword led him deeper into the shaking castle, into a small room. As soon as he entered the light disapeared, the darkness from the shattered floor encompassing them. The castle caved in on itself, and the ruins fell to the next world._

* * *

 

Raising his sword in the light, the beam turned upon the Colossus. It looked similar to the statues he had found in the ruins, but this one was alive. It pulsed with energy, bright yellow light shining from its gauntlet and shoulder. Its eyes flashed with color, and it walked with enthusiasm, as if enjoying every moment it could move. 

**Defeat the Colossi, and you will destroy the idols that hold back my power. If you destroy them all, that power will return the maiden's soul to her. This,  we promise.**

The voices finished speaking to him through the sunlight, and he stared in fascination at the pristine white walls that the Colossus seemed to defend from the horrible creatures.

"What... is the stone creature doing? What are these creatures? The Colossi?"

**Those are not Colossi. They are flesh, twisted but mortal. More human than thou art, mortal.**

Wander shivered slightly with old shame. He had given up on the gods of his tribe, but the taboos weighed on his shoulders all the same. Even the god his village detested didn't recognize him as human any more. 

**They are called Titans. They are obstacles, nothing more. They do nothing for the ritual. The Colossi are guardians. Beasts of stone.**

"So... I need to destroy that living tower?"

**Yes. It will be difficult. Yonder Colossus is Malus, greatest of the sixteen. The last you should challenge.**

"What's behind the wall?"

**This world is an inversion of the waking world from which you once belonged. You stand in a forbidden world. Within those walls is humanity's only sanctuary. A sealed land. But the only one humanity can survive within.**

"And the Colossus is guarding it?"

**Of course. They are guardians. Long ago, the forbidden land was abandoned by humans, and they sealed it away from the world. Here the forbidden land is everywhere, the humans have sealed themselves away. But it is not... as forbidden... as the forbidden land you came to. They will not lose their humanity by leaving their walls, as you have lost.**

"what will happen to them if I destroy the Colossus?"

**They will live as they did before. The Colossi have guarded them only five years. They have been sealed for one hundred and seven before that. You must slay the Colossi, if you wish to return your maiden's soul.**

"I... understand."

**You hesitate.**

"I will do what i need to bring her back. Nothing else matters." He said resolutely, his determination returning. He urged Agro forward, and made his way toward the Walls. 


End file.
